Dodgers have just enough to beat Wainwright

Dodgers catcher Drew Butera tags out the Cardinals' Allen Craig at the plate during the seventh inning on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers starter Josh Beckett delivers a pitch against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright held the Dodgers hitless through five innings at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Yasiel Puig can't reach a ball hit by the Cardinals' Allen Craig that went for a double. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Yasiel Puig crashes into the wall after missing a hit by the Cardinals' Allen Craig at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Cardinals' Allen Craig tries unsuccessfully to slide home past the tag of Dodgers catcher Drew Butera during a game at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Drew Butera shows his excitement after he tagged the Cardinals' Allen Craig out at home plate Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Matt Kemp (27) celebrates his outfield assist with Adrian Gonzalez (23) after he threw out the Cardinals' Allen Craig at home plate. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Miguel Rojas, left, tags out Cardinals' Peter Bourjos at second base as his leg comes off the bag on a steal attempt during the ninth inning. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Justin Turner reacts as he delivers a pinch-hit RBI single against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Justin Turner, right, celebrates his pinch-hit RBI single with first base coach Davey Lopes during a game against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Miguel Rojas, left, steps on the second base and throws to first to turn a double play. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Andre Ethier screams in pain after a foul ball hits his leg during a game against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Cardinals' Mark Ellis, top, turns a double play over the slide by the Dodgers' Dee Gordon. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Dodgers' Kenley Jansen, right, and Drew Buteras celebrate their win against the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Dodgers catcher Drew Butera tags out the Cardinals' Allen Craig at the plate during the seventh inning on Thursday. KYUSUNG GONG, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

LOS ANGELES - The Dodgers scheduled two pitchers who have thrown no-hitters this season to start this weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals – Josh Beckett and Clayton Kershaw. On Thursday, Dodger Stadium came close to being the scene of yet another, only this time it wasn’t by anyone wearing Dodger blue.

Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright had a no-hitter going through five innings, causing a stir among the crowd of 48,624. But in the end, Wainwright couldn’t hold off the Dodgers, who handed the Cardinals ace a 1-0 loss in his first appearance this season at Dodger Stadium.

Pinch-hitter Justin Turner’s RBI single in the eighth spoiled Wainwright’s complete game and sent the crowd into a frenzied sense of relief.

“Their guy (Wainwright) is a handful,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “I told (Brian) Wilson that if we get one (run) it has to be enough.”

It was enough to beat Wainwright (10-4), who twice has placed second in the NL Cy Young voting – last season finishing behind Kershaw. He has been dominating again this season, coming into the game tied for first in the National League with 10 victories and ranked second with a 2.02 ERA. He looked solid against the Dodgers, allowing just three balls to leave the infield in those five innings.

While most of the attention was focused on Wainwright, Beckett, who tossed a no-hitter May 25 against Philadelphia, was equally as dominating although he gave up two early hits. He still managed to shut out the Cardinals before being lifted in the eighth for Wilson, who picked up the victory. Beckett allowed four hits, two walks and struck out four in seven innings.

Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 24th save.

“Anytime you go up against a guy like that it’s going to be tough,” Beckett said. “The defense really deserves all the credit for this, though. … I knew it was going to be tough and I don’t deserve very much of the credit.”

Wainwright saw his no-hit bid broken up in the sixth on Miguel Rojas’ ground ball single to left. He had retired 15 batters in a row after giving up a walk to Dee Gordon to start the Dodgers’ first inning. Then it nearly all fell apart.

Gordon continued his hot streak with a one-out single to left, putting Rojas into scoring position. Yasiel Puig, however, grounded out into a double play to end the scoring threat and preserve Wainwright’s shutout.

The relief was temporary for Wainwright until the eighth, when he gave up three hits and the lone run.

The Cardinals came close to scoring in the seventh. Allen Craig ripped a double to right field and headed home on Jon Jay’s hard-hit single to left. Matt Kemp threw home and Craig appeared to beat the throw. Upon review, Kemp’s throw was ruled in time and the shutout continued, eliciting an animated fist pump in the air from Beckett.

“It was a battle of the pitchers – two good pitchers going at it,” Kemp said, “and we won in those later innings. We had to wait out Wainwright.”

URIBE RETURNS

For 34 games, the Dodgers were able to keep afloat without Juan Uribe, who had been sent to the disabled list because of a strained right hamstring. Uribe, however was the difference-maker Thursday, as he scored the only run.

In his first game since May 20, Uribe bounced back from second- and fifth-inning strikeouts to lead off the eighth with a single up the middle.

Uribe made his way around the bases on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Butera and singles from Miguel Rojas and Justin Turner.

"You know you're in a situation where you know you're going to bunt. You know you're going to pinch hit and really give yourself a couple of chances to get a run," Mattingly said. "So (Uribe) getting on and then Drew executing was huge. So getting that first guy on was big."

In a five-game stint with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, Uribe went 6 for 19 with four runs, three RBI and two doubles.

To make room for Uribe on the roster, the Dodgers optioned Carlos Triunfel to Triple-A Albuquerque. Triunfel appeared in seven games since June 15, starting two. He went 2 for 7 with two runs, one RBI and one home run.

INJURY UPDATE

An MRI showed no structural damage to Hanley Ramirez’s right shoulder and the shortstop will continue with his hitting and throwing program. He is listed day-to-day and is expected back in the lineup once the pain subsides.

Ramirez, who has a 10-game hitting streak, has sat out three consecutive games because of the soreness.

Also, pitcher Chad Billingsley had surgery Tuesday on his right elbow to repair a torn flexor tendon and will be sidelined for eight months. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. He is expected to start rehabilitation in roughly 12-14 days.

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